Creel



y 7, 1940- D. c. CHURCHILL Y 2.199.616

CREEL IS ATTORNEY.

May 7, 1940- D. c. CHURCHILL CREEL Filed April 1, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. C CHURCH/LL His ATTORNEY.

Fatentecl May 7, 1946 stares TENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

My invention relates to warping mechanism for looms, and relates more particularly to the arrangement, construction, and disposition of the creel portion of a loom warping mechanism.

' My invention pertains generally to the preparation of the threads for a piece of cloth to be later woven in a loom, and pertains more specifically to an improved arrangement of the creel apparatus whereby the warp threads may readily be 10 passed through the lease and guide reeds commonly employed for the purpose of crossing alternate threads passed therethrough, whereby alternate threads may be tied in separate groups for the well known purpose of later identification in 15 the placement of such threads on a loom.

In the process of preparing the warp threads for a loom, particularly whereby difierent colors of threads are employed to provide a desired color pattern, it is very often desirable in different lateral portions of the same piece of cloth to pass different groups of colored threads through the loom in inverted order to an order of the arrangement of threads of a laterally disposed group, and my improved creel arrangement provides that the order of the threads passing through the reeds mentioned may readily be reversed.

Generally speaking, I accomplish this by an arrangement of creel whereby the threads passing therefrom to the reeds at the moment of leaving the creel are fanned in a generally vertical plane and this being accomplished, the threads may then, as they enter the dents of the reeds, be disposed in a horizontal plane by giving the preliminarily vertically fanned threads a quarter turn in the space between the creel and the first of said reeds, and as will be apparent, this quarter turn may be either to the right or to the left, and in so doing it will be apparent that, for instance, if the uppermost thread, as it passes from the creel, is of an orange color and the lowermost thread of a green color, if the threads at the reeds have relatively been turned a quarter turn from a vertical to a horizontal plane in a clockwise direction, when viewed from the reed entering direction the previously uppermost orange thread will be disposed to the right and the previously lowermost green thread will be disposed to the left side of the reed, and the intermediate threads will take positionsin order between the extreme outermost threads.

Among-the objects of my invention are the following:

To provide an improved creel; I

.To provide an improved cooperative positioning p; of the creel whereby the warp threads for a piece of cloth will emerge therefrom disposed in relatively vertical relation to each other;

To provide means whereby the order of threads passing through successive horizontally disposed dents of a reed may be readily relatively reversed;

To provide improved mechanism whereby the foregoing objects may be efficiently carried out;

To provide an improved method of preparing warp threads for a loom.

To provide an improved method of preparing warp threads for a loom whereby the creel is in plain sight of the warper while in operation.

To provide an improved creel particularly adapted to provide a narrow, flat, closely spaced sheaf of warp wherein the fiat warp sheaf may be brought to the guide reed in either of two different arrangements of the threads without materially disturbing the tension of the individual threads. I

The foregoing objects of my invention, and the invention itself, will be better understood by reference to the following description of a typical embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of my invention in top plan view;

Fig. -2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with parts assuming a new position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a topplan view of the creel of Fig. 3 showing the creel slewed clockwise, the topmost thread R, occupying the position at the right;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the creel of Fig. 3 which is similar to the view of Fig. 5 with the exception that Fig. 6 shows the creel being slewed counterclockwise whereby the direction of the thread is reversed, the topmost thread V 00- 0 cupying the position to the right;

Fig. 7 is a section illustrating a thread tension and tension compensating means which may be employed, the view being taken on the line 'i--'l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of the creel of the foregoing figures, shown in perspective;

Fig. 9 shows an alternative improved form of grid having certain advantages over the grid 50 shown at the bottom of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view generally similar to Fig. 3 but wherein the threads emerge from a guide ladder disposed thetop rather than the bottom of the creel; and 55 Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of another embodiment of my invention.

Referring now, first, to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawings, I illustrate therein a crate-like rectangular frame F comprising a plurality of transverse bobbin supports 2 each carrying bobbin supporting pegs 3, of which. any desired number may be provided according to the size of the creel and these preferably being of such form that the thread bobbin 4 may be readily telescoped thereon.

In the form shown, the bobbins are of frusto conical outline and the pegs 3 may be generally rectangular in cross-sectional form, but of diminishing cross-sectional area proceeding toward their upper ends.

The lower frame cross-pieces 2, as are also the upper frame cross-pieces 5, are disposed in parallel relation. On each of the upper cross-pieces 5 a plurality of friction tension compensating meansare disposed longitudinally of the crosspieces and equal in number to the bobbins 4 disposed on the underlying cross-pieces 2.

The frictional means employed are of a common type comprising, as shown in Fig. '7, a post 6 projected through the associated frame crosspieee 5, and supported thereby, and a pair of suitably formed concave-convex discs 'I and 8, the lowermost disc having a skirt portion 9 extending downwardly and fitted snugly within an upper recess of the cross-piece E5 and provided with a central aperture III through which the post 8 extends. The uppermost disc is disposed in relatively inverted position and contains a central aperture II relatively larger than the aperture I0, so that it may be maintained in approximately central position by the post 6 extending through its aperture, the disc I with the smaller aperture being maintained in coaxial relation to the post 6 but being snugly fitted within-the'coaxial recess on the upper surface of the cross-piece 5 into which its skirt 9 is fitted.

On the thread discharging side of the creel, as shown in Fig. 8, and adjacent the bottom edge thereof, I afiix what I term a ladder-or grid I2 comprising a pair of longitudinally extending spaced rods I3, and joined together at relatively closely spaced intervals by transverse bridging rods I I, the number of transverse rods I4 being at least equal to the number of warp threads I5, so that there will be at least one opening between adjacent cross-rods Id of the longitudinal rods I3 of the grid I2 for each warp thread supplied from the creel. It will be noted that the rods I3 and I4 are circular and that the bridging rods are disposed above the rods I3 so that a given point on a thread passes the surface of its bridging rod I4 before it contacts rod I3 and thereby minimizing any tendency of the thread to get caught in case of an irregularity.

The creel frame F is mounted on a supporting base B, in inclined position relative to the floor X, Fig. 3; that is, its forward end F is elevated relative to its rear end F", and therefore the ladder I2 is likewise inclined upwardly proceeding from the right to the left-hand side of the creel, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 8.

In a creel mechanism of the type illustrated, which I have already constructed and employed, I provide twenty-five upper and twenty-five lower cross members correspondingto the frame membersd and 2, respectively, and I provide eight bobbin carrying pegs 3 on each lower cross member 2, with a corresponding number of eight frictional tension compensating means, as illustrated "rodsto a warp reel.

in Fig. '7, on each transverse frame member 5, as illustrated in Fig. 4, whereby two hundred threads could be supplied from two hundred bobbins through two hundred apertures of the ladder I2. Incidentally, I show and preferably provide a friction reducing rod I6 at the upper corner edge of the front upper frame element I'I.

As illustrated, and as will be understood, the warp threads unreeling from the bobbins 4 pass upwardly and laterally over the cross-pieces 5 between the discs I and 8, from which they proceed toward the front of the frame carrying the ladder I2, passing over the friction reducing rod I6 and downwardly again to pass through the apertures between the cross-pieces it of the ladder I2 and thence the threads I 5 emerge from the creel, passing from the creel in a substantially horizontal direction, and the creel being elevated at its thread discharging end, as illustrated in Fig, 2. Inasmuch as the ladder I2 is upwardly inclined the warp threads will be relatively progressively vertically disposed in leaving the creel with the lowermost warp thread at the right hand end of ladder I2 as viewed in Fig. '8.

At a suitable distance from the end F of the creel, where the warp threads I5 emerge fromthe bottom of the creel, I preferably position the warp-grouping or warp-crossing reeds comprising the lease reed I8 and a suitable guide reed (not shown) which may be mounted on the warping machine or warp reel.

Prior to reaching the lease reed I8 the warp threads pass over a guide roller I9 and since-the roller I9 carries all the threads the friction for each thread is the same resulting in even thread tension. It is desirable to arrange the parts of the creel so that-each thread passing around the uide bars of the ladder I2 will have substantially the same angle of contact. Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the topmost thread R emerging from the forward end of the ladder guide has less than a angle of contact whereas the angle of contact of thread V is relatively increased but due to the increased distance from roller I9 to the rear of the ladder guide the sag of thread V is greater tending to reduce the angle of contact with the ladder guide I2 and making for even thread tension.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 5' and'6, and assuming that the creel of Fig. '3 is in alignment with the general direction of the warpthreads rather than being slewed to the right or left as in Fig. 6, the thread R which leaves the forward or elevated end of the creel will be in a vertical plane with the lowermost thread V and the threads adjacent the roller I9 may be maintained properly spaced by a vertically disposed clamp element 56. If the creel is slewed clockwise to assume the position of Fig. 5 and at the same time the clamp element is rotated through 90 to assume the, horizontal position of Fig. 5, the topmost thread R will occupy the position shown and the other threads the positions indicated. If the same procedure is followed and the creel rotated counter-clockwise to take the position of Fig. 6, the

position of the threads will be reversed thereby providing a simple arrangement for reversing the order in which threads pass to the lease reed I3.

After passing through the lease reed and guide reed, the warp threads pass over and under lease However,-theparticular arrangement of the lease reed, guide reed, lease rods and warp reel constitute noessential part of my invention since these parts are well known and any 'sultab1e construction may be employed.

' In these figures, only seven'warp threads are shown, and indicated by the letters R, O, Y, G, B, I and V, which threads may be differently colored, as for instance, in order, red, orange, yellow, green, brown, indigo and violet, proceeding from the uppermost thread to the lowermost thread in the more vertically aligned threads as they emerge from the creel, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Now, having completely described the construction and operation of my invention in the illustrated and described embodiment, as a further matter of improvement I may sometimes employ the ladder or grid of Fig. 9 which may take various forms, but in a very simple easily constructed form as illustrated. This comprises a series of nails driven in parallel spaced relation into the lower front frame member of the frame and the side rods are suspended in spaced relation respectively adjacent the frame and adjacent the heads of the nails, the innermost longitudinal rod of the grid being secured in any desired manner to certain or all of the nails, but the outermost rod 45 is preferably detachably suspended from the nails near their heads, as by means of hooks, shown at 42, and preferably a minimum number of these hooks will be provided. Fastenings, such as 43, may be employed to secure the innermost rod M to the nails.

This arrangement makes for ease in passing the threads through the grid openings between the nails since the threads can be passed over nails such as 46 and 41 which do not have the hook fastenings, and can be passed under nails such as 48 having the hooks such as 42, by merely temporarily unhooking such hooks from the nails.

In the practice of my part from the form of invention, I may so deladder or grid shown in Figs. 8 and 9, as for instance, a succession of screw-eyes placed side by side secured to the longitudinally extending front bottom frame member may, among other expedients, be employed, and I include all such expedients within the scope of this invention as being comprised within the general term grid or ladder so far as such perform the primary function of the grid member of my invention.

Referring now to Fig. 10, I have shown an arrangement of the creel generally similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3, but wherein the creel is inclined in a reverse direction and the guide ladder indicated at 5| and which is similar to the guide ladder described in connection with Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, is secured to the upper frame element l1 whereby the threads passing from the discs I and 8 supported on the cross-pieces 5 will directly engage the ladder 5i and in this instance the friction reducing rod it may be eliminated and the rod 13 of the ladder adjacent the frame element [1 may serve as the friction reducing member. In this modification I preferably lower the base .B supporting the creel to correspondingly lower the creel so that the threads emerging from the ladder 5! will extend toward the lease reed l8 in a generally horizontal direction. The creel illustrated in Fig. 10 will operate in the same manner creel and the guide ladder 5| the threads will emerge from the ladder in vertically spaced relation and if the creel is slewed clockwise (plan view) the threads will be disposed with the lowermost thread V to the right in approac 'ng the lease reed and the topmost thread R to the left. If the creel is slewed counter-clockwise (plan view) the reas the creel illustrated in Fig. 3 whereby due to the inclination of the versev will .be true and the lowermost threadV will be. disposed to the left in approaching the lease reed and the topmost thread R. to the right. Due to the fact that the threads in the creel illustrated in Fig. 10 do not extend vertically prior to being projected'through the ladder, the operator has a clear View of the cones of the creel packages whereby it is easy to detect when a cone is exhausted and should be replaced.

In the foregoing description I have shown in some views only portions of the structure where the structure is merely duplicated throughout. I did not show all of the parts of the creel nor all of the threads in the different views illustrating the creehnor all of the frictional compensating discs for all of the transverse frame members, nor all of the bobbins or bobbin supports there for, as-will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, so that those skilled in the art will readily understand how to practice the same, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom and from the embodiment herein illustrated and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A creel comprising a frame and a frame support, the frame comprising relatively lower bobbin supporting means and relatively upper thread guide means, and a grid having openings arranged substantially longitudinally of the frame with substantially separate openings therethrough for different of the threads from said bobbins, said threads passing from said bobbins and traversing said guide means and grid openings, and said grid having its said thread openings successively increasinglyspaced from the horizon- .tal plane of a'first of said openings, whereby threads passed through said openings, and each extending horizontally from its respective opening in the same lateral direction, will be arranged in a generally vertical plane upon leaving said creel.

2. A creel frame comprising bobbin supports, thread guides, and grid means providing a plurality of thread openings adapted to be inclined with respect to a horizontal plane whereby the threads from the creel may extend therefrom in vertically spaced relation to each other, in combination with a reed or the like having laterally spaced openings through which said threads may be projected in either of two opposite orders, and said orders being eifected by rotation of the grid about a generally vertical axis to either side of a line connecting said axis and the reed.

3. The combination with a creel frame including bobbin supports and thread guides, and a reed spaced from the creel having laterally spaced openings through which threads may be projected, of an upwardly inclined ladder guide associated with the creel having a plurality of thread openings therethrough whereby threads from the creel passing from said openings may extend toward the reed in vertically spaced relation and said openings also being spaced axially of the lad.- der guide whereby movement of the ladder guide about a substantially vertical axis adjacent an end of the guide to opposite sides of a line joining the central part of the reed and said axis will dispose the threads in horizontally spaced relation and in reverse order.

4. A creel frame comprising bobbin supports, thread guides for directing bobbin thread to a side of the creel frame, a grid guide for directing threads from the creel frame in a given genera "direction, said side grid guide. comprising an element inclined to a horizontal plane associated with the of he frame to which the threads are directed by the thread guides, the element having a plurality of longitudinally spaced perforations, one for each thread whereby the threads may extend therefrom in vertically spaced relation, and the creel frame being adapted to be rotated about an end thereof in a horizontal direction to dispose the grid guide at an angle in the general direction of threads emerging from the creel frame to space the threads horizontally.

5. The method of arranging threads extending from a creel frame optionally in one of two reversible orders prior to entering a lease reed, the method including directing threads extending from the creel frame towards the lease reed in vertically spaced consecutive order and substantially in a vertical plane extending from the creel frame towards the lease reed, and subsequently disposing consecutive threads progressively laterally in a given direction of said plane.

6. A grid guide adapted to be associated in an inclined position with the side of a creel frame from which bobbin threads are emerging, said grid guide comprising a pair of substantially circular and longitudinally extending elements, a plurality of spaced transverse bridging elements circular in cross-section, secured tothe longitudinal elements, and the transverse elements being disposed above the longitudinal elements whereby a thread projected through the opening formed between adjacent transverse elements will first contact a transverse element and subsequently a longitudinal element at a point spaced from the point of contact with the transverse element. v

7. A creel frame including bobbin supports and thread guides, the creel frame being supported in an inclined position relative to a horizontal plane, an inclined grid guide secured to a side of the creel frame adjacent the bottom thereof, the grid guide being provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings whereby threads emerging from the creel frame may be disposed one through each opening to arrange threads leaving the grid guide in vertically spaced relation, means for rotating the creel frame and the grid guide angularly from the direction of said extending threads to arrange the threads both vertically and horizontally in spaced relation.

8. The creel frame as described in claim 'I and wherein the creel frame is inclined upwardly in the direction in which the threads are extending from the grid guide.

.9. A creel frame including bobbin supports and thread guides for directing thread to a side of the frame, a grid guide associated with said frame side having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings through which threads emerging from the creel frame may be disposed, both the creel frame and grid guide being inclined relative to a horizontal plane to dispose threads extending from the grid guide in vertically spaced relation, and the creel frame being rotatable in a. horizontal direction to be angular-1y disposed relative to the direction in which the threads extend where by the thread extending from the grid guide may be arranged in both vertically and horizontally spaced relation.

10. The process of supphrlng threads of a group from a creel to a receiving substantially horizontal reed to provide either of two alternate avoiding interference between orders of arrangement of-the-received threads individually disposed in dents of the reed, comprising first passing said threads each through a dilferent one of a series of aligned guides, said series comprising a row of guides directed generally toward one side of said reed and substantially inclined relative to the plane thereof, and in passing a first thread through an endmost thread dispensing guideof said row, to one of the endmost thread receiving dents of the reed, and in passing the other threads arranged in order of adjacency through progressively disposed guides and reed dents respectively to provide a first of said alternate arrangements wherein the disposition of the group of threads is progressively varied from a substantially vertical plane when passing through said guides to a substantially horizontal plane at said reed, and then reversing the order of arrangement at the reed by directing the inclined row of guides to the opposite side of the reed and passing the thread from the said endmost guide through the other endmost thread receiving dent of the reed at an opposite side thereof, and the other threads in order of adjacency at the guides individually through the other reed dents disposed progressively towards the first named endmost dent thereof, whereby by alternately swinging said row of guides from side to side with not more than a quarter turn in a fiat sheaf of threads of the group, the order of reception of said threads in the reed may be reversed, the inclination of said row of guides avoiding interference between threads passed from guides disposed relatively remote from the reed, and more closely disposed guides.

11. The process of supplying threads of a group from acreel to a receiving reed to provide either of two alternate orders of arrangement of the received threads individually disposed in dents of the reed, comprising first passing said threads each through a different one of a series of aligned guides, said series comprising a row of guides directed generally toward one side of said reed and substantially inclined relative to the plane thereof, and in passing a first thread through an endmost thread dispensing guide of said row, to one of the endmost thread receiving dents of the reed, and in passing the other threads arranged in order of adjacency through progressively disposed guides and reed dents respectively to provide a first of said alternate arrangements wherein the disposition of the group of threads is progressively varied from the plane of inclination of said row of guides when passing through said guides to a relatively transverse plane at said reed, and then reversing the order of arrangement at the reed by directing the inclined row of guides to the opposite side of the reed and passing the thread from the said endmost guide through the other endmost thread receiving dent of the reed at an opposite side thereof, and the other threads in order of adjacency at the guides individually through the other reed dents disposed progressively towards the first named endmost dent thereof, whereby by alternately swinging said row of guides from side to side with not more than a quarter turn in a flat sheaf of threads of the group, the order of reception of said threads in the reed may be revers d, the inclination of said row of guides threads passed from guides disposed relatively remote from the reed, and more closely disposed guides.

D. C. CHURCHILL. 

